Ultrasound of the abdomen in endurance athletes.

This project evaluated, if athletes show adaption of their abdominal organs in response to endurance training. Abdominal sonography was performed in 26 sedentary male subjects [CO; age: 26 (SD 5) years; mass (BM): 78.7 (SD 10.6) kg; lean body mass [LBM): 67.1 (SD 7.4) kg; height (HE): 183 (SD 6) cm, individual anaerobic threshold (cycle ergometry; IAT): 2.1 (SD 0.1) Wkg(-1)], 14 moderately endurance trained athletes [EA1; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 74.0 (SD 5.9) kg; LBM: 64.6 (SD 4.5) kg; HE: 178 (SD 5) cm, IAT: 3.0 (SD 0.5) Wkg(-1)] and 27 well endurance trained athletes [EA2; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 72.1 (SD 4.3) kg; LBM: 65.4 (SD 3.2) kg; HE: 179 (SD 4) cm, IAT: 3.7 (SD 0.4) W*kg(-1)]. One subject of EA2 had cholecystolithiasis and another one renal redoublication. 3 persons showed uncomplicated parapelvine or subcapsular renal cysts (CO, EA1). The transverse area of the large abdominal arteries (abdominal aorta, common iliac arteries) was significantly greater in EA2 than in both EA1 and CO and partly greater in EA1 than in CO. Also, the ratios of sagittal and transverse diameters of the left and right lobes of the liver to LBM showed higher values for EA2 than for both EA1 and CO. These results indicate morphological adaptive processes of the great abdominal arteries in endurance athletes.